Category Archives: In The News

23 Apr
0

The Olympian: Lawmakers OK tenants’ civil right to counsel bill. Will it be ready to stop an eviction cliff?

A bill signed by Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday makes Washington the first state in the country to guarantee legal representation to low-income tenants facing eviction. Cities such as Philadelphia, New York, San Francisco, and Cleveland have passed similar laws in ...

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21 Apr
0

Pew Stateline: Gun Rules Advanced in Many States Even Before Recent Shootings

The spree of mass shootings over the past two months has led to renewed calls for more federal gun restrictions. But even before the most recent violence, state lawmakers were busy enacting measures designed to help solve a uniquely American ...

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10 Apr
0

The Olympian: State House votes to end eviction moratorium June 30

Washington is poised to become the first state in the country to guarantee legal representation for low-income tenants facing eviction, with Senate Bill 5160 now approved by both chambers after its vote in the House of Representatives Thursday night. Some tenants ...

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10 Apr
0

Seattle Times: Washington may soon be first state to guarantee lawyers for low-income tenants facing eviction

Washington may soon become the first state in the country to ensure that low-income tenants have legal representation when faced with an eviction, an idea lawmakers see as a way to head off a feared wave of evictions once pandemic-era ...

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08 Apr
0

PubliCola: Post-Pandemic Renter Protections on the Line in the State Senate

A bill that would bring an end to no-cause evictions in Washington (HB 1236) had a confusing day on the Senate floor on Monday. Republicans managed to get three amendments added to the bill, stripping away its protections for tenants ...

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26 Mar
0

Crosscut: King County courts continue ordering evictions, despite moratoriums

(PHOTO: Crosscut) Jennifer doesn’t fit the stereotype of a tenant facing eviction. Two years ago, she thought she was on her way to buying the house she rents in an upscale King County neighborhood. She scraped together a $50,000 earnest ...

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26 Mar
0

Investigate West: Allowing Doctors To Act When Pregnancies Go Wrong

After years of trying, Washington legislators appear poised to free up doctors at Catholic hospitals to provide medically necessary abortions when pregnancies go wrong. The legislation would allow patients to sue a hospital if they are denied medical care to ...

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23 Mar
0

KOMO News: Boulder, Atlanta mass shootings stirring up gun debate in Washington state

The mass shootings in Boulder and Atlanta are igniting new calls for gun control and a heated debate all over the country. Here in Washington state, one high profile bill is still alive in the state legislature after previous gun ...

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16 Mar
0

Crosscut: Is this the year Washington state starts a public bank?

(Photo: Jovelle Tamayo for Crosscut) It’s a high-stakes year in the Washington state Legislature. If you’ve been reading the news, you’ve probably heard about proposals to provide pandemic relief, tax the rich, protect tenants from mass eviction and more. But some transformative bills ...

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15 Mar
0

The Stranger: Today the Seattle City Council Will Decide Whether Tenants Facing Eviction Deserve Attorneys

As the end of Washington’s eviction moratorium approaches, state lawmakers hope to stem the tide of a potential tsunami of evictions with a bill that would establish a “right to counsel” for tenants facing eviction statewide. That’s great! But it’s ...

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